


Temple gardens, tea and promises

by TangentQueenOfDragons



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-05
Updated: 2013-10-05
Packaged: 2017-12-27 11:49:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/978530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TangentQueenOfDragons/pseuds/TangentQueenOfDragons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Whilst visiting a temple in Japan, Arthur decides the majestic setting will be the perfect place to ask Merlin a certain question.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Temple gardens, tea and promises

**Author's Note:**

> I got the idea for this fic whilst at the temple Kennin-ji. I was walking through the garden and thought 'this would be a lovely place to be proposed to', and since I've been on a Merthur binge, this idea popped into my head. It's kind of as much of a love story between me and the temple as it is between Merlin and Arthur, but I hope you enjoy it. I wanted to add some pictures I took at appropriate times to give a better idea of the place, but despite following the tutorial, I couldn't make it work :( so you should definitely google it! It's a gorgeous place!

    “Merlin, your shoes!”

“Oh right. Crap.” Merlin stumbled back and kicked off his shoes, putting them on one of the shelves provided.

“This is a temple Merlin, honestly.”  
“I know, I know, I forgot.”

    The couple had decided to spend the summer in Japan, travelling to different regions and soaking up the rich history and culture. They were currently in Kyoto, and visiting its oldest Zen Temple, Kennin-ji. This was the third temple they’d visited in as many days. One might have thought that if you’d seen one, you’d seen them all, but they were all different, similar in certain artistic aspects, but ultimately unique and serenely beautiful.

    There were few people visiting today. There was a festival going on, the streets practically sardined with people, but they had been to several festivals already, and besides, they much preferred temples. They paid and stepped past the entryway, standing close, but not holding hands, not wanting to risk being asked to leave.

    They walked past several folding screens, the first decorated with elegant kanji, the second what looked to be demons of some kind. Arthur looked over the small booklet he had been given upon paying the entrance fee.

“It says here that Yousai, the founder of this temple, was also the founder of the Japanese tea ceremony,” he said as they approached a tea table, were a woman was handing out cups to sample. Merlin hummed in acknowledgment as they both took a sample of tea.

    He tried not to pull a face as he took a sip. It had looked like green tea, but it was most certainly _not_ green tea. It was _salty_. But he couldn’t very well leave it, so he drank it politely, trying not to gag. He handed the empty cup back. “Arigató,” he said with a smile, waiting for Arthur to do the same before they walked off.

“Oh my God, that was disgusting,” Merlin whispered. Arthur chuckled.

“Well, I wouldn’t brew myself a cup, but it wasn’t all that bad.”

“It was one of the worst things I’ve ever tasted. Why was it _salty_?”

“No idea.”

    Next they stepped outside, the roof of the temple reaching out to shade them from the scorching sun. A white gravel garden stretched alongside the wooden walkway, beautiful in its simplicity, as many temple gardens were.

“Can we have a garden like this when we buy a house?” Merlin asked sincerely. Arthur laughed.

“Are you sure? It’ll never be this beautiful.”

“You’re right,” Merlin agreed. Something else about the temples that he loved was that no picture could ever properly capture their elegance, and that made the memories of the moments spent there all the more special.

    “Let’s cross over to Hattô. It’s used as the main temple,” Arthur suggested.

“Will you stop reading things off of that leaflet to sound smart?”

“Shut up Merlin.”

    They slipped on the slippers provided to cross over to Hattô and made their way over. It was dark inside, and they stood at the railings separating them from a large shrine with a golden statue atop.

“Look at the ceiling,” Arthur told him. Merlin looked up. The ceiling was painted with two black and white dragons. “Oh wow,” he breathed.

“It’s called the Twin Dragons. Took the artist Koizumi Junsaku just under two years to complete. It’s drawn with ink.”

“Amazing.”

    They spent a few more minutes studying the artwork on the ceiling before going back. They looked in several more rooms, each holding paintings or statues or the like. They eventually found themselves sat in a large room, open except for the ceiling, next to a fan they were all too grateful to see, looking over another white gravel garden.

“I bet this place would be gorgeous in the spring,” Merlin observed, gesturing to the trees bordering the garden.

“We’ll have to come back then. We can watch the cherry blossoms.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

    They sat in silence a little while longer before Arthur stood, offering his hand to help Merlin up. “Come on. Let’s go down that path. I’m pretty sure it goes through a garden.”

They put on a pair of the offered shoes, which were ugly to look at, but so spongy and comfortable that Merlin momentarily considered making off with them before walking down the path.

    They walked amongst trees, passing a plaque and stone monument of some sort and coming up to a fence with a little roofed entryway. On the other side was more garden, with a stone path leading up to another part of the temple.

“I know this is a religious place, but it feels really romantic,” Merlin said absently. Arthur looked at him, reaching into his bag.

“Yeah, it does,” he replied, taking a quick look around.

    Merlin turned when he felt a tap on his arm. Arthur was… Arthur was down on one knee holding out a little box with a white gold ring inside.

“Arthur…”

“Merlin. I’ve been waiting for the right moment to do this, and well… I think this is it. And I know I’m not great with words, but… well, you and me… it was never going to be any other way in the end, was it? We’re like… two sides of the same coin. We complete each other. So I wanted to ask; will you marry me?”

    Merlin laughed breathlessly, eyes shining. “Those were amazing words and of course I’ll marry you, you prat.” He punctuated the last word by flinging himself at Arthur, who actually looked relieved, the clotpole, as though he thought Merlin was going to say no.

“I love you.”

“I love you too Merlin.”

    They didn’t think about the fact that someone could walk into the garden at any time; they just sat there in that moment, and whenever anyone asked them, they would say it was something magical. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed? I tried to write it in a way that anyone would understand even if they know nothing about Japan or temples, but if there was anything that confused you, feel free to ask me about it. Please comment and let me know what you think!  
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
